When most people hear the name of Walt Whitman, they think of him as the famous American poet who wrote “Leaves of Grass.”
However, he also served as a nurse during the Civil War and his experiences influenced his later work as a poet.
Early on in the war, Whitman was working as a freelance writer and started visiting New York hospitals to interview soldiers and was profoundly affected by their suffering.
He traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1862 to care for his wounded brother. It was then he became motivated to volunteer as a nurse.
At the time, there were not formal education or training requirements or standards for nurses. They learned by doing and most nurses were volunteers.
The American Association for the History of Nursing reports that he earned the trust and respect of doctors and on Jan. 1, 1863, was put in charge of a trainload of wounded soldiers who were being transferred to a hospital.
He met with soldiers, acting as a scribe for their messages to families and comforting them with his calm and concern.
It was at that point he decided to stay and work in hospitals until the war was over.
Whitman took a low-paying job as a clerk to provide enough money so he could volunteer at hospitals, which is where he spent almost all his free time.
He would care for the wounded and the sick, bringing soldiers food and writing letters for them. He often spent what little money he had on supplies and would stay at a soldier’s side as he died.
Nursing Poetry
Those experiences would influence his poetry, with nurses and their labor showing up in his writing.
In “The Wound-Dresser,” Whitman describes the work of a nurse caring for wounded soldiers and the deep emotional connection that develops:
“With hinged knees and steady hand to dress wounds,
I am firm with each, the pangs are sharp yet unavoidable,
One turns to me his appealing eyes — poor boy! I never knew you,
Yet I think I could not refuse this moment to die for you, if that would save you.”
In other writing, “Nursing the Wounded and the Dying,” he talks at length about his experience, naming names and describing what he did as a nurse.
He explains how being a nurse forever changed him as a poet:
“I saw the wounded and the dead, and never forget them,
I recall the experience sweet and sad,
I send my love sincerely to each and all,
For every sick and wounded soldier is dear to me as a son or brother.
Ever since have they been with me,
They have fused ever since in my poems,
They are here forever in my poems —
No poem proud, I chanting bring to thee,
But a cluster containing night’s darkness and blood-dripping wounds,
And psalms of the dead.”
Whitman described his years of service as a privilege and said it was the most profound lesson of his life.
Historically, Whitman’s writings also provide insight into what the nursing profession was like during the Civil War period and what the conditions of the hospitals were.
He was considered a minister of mercy and his legacy continues to inspire.